Let's say you had a giant treadmill with an airplane on it

[aussieflyboy]

The question is whether or not the belt can provide enough backwards force though friction to equal the force applied by the engines. The answer is: YES. You can see this by placing a rollerblade on a treadmill. As you increase the speed of the treadmill, the force applied by your hand to keep the rollerblade stationary increases. The belt could potentially spin the wheels fast enough in the opposite direction to hold the plane stationary. If you neglect friction in the wheel bearings, the plane takes off.

As far as I can tell, THIS was the only guy dopey enough to suggest that the plane would stay in the same position AND take off!

Congratulations mate!!!

By the way, it's clear that we were played for a fool.

The correct answer is that there's no answer, the question's f**ked.

Time for bed

 

[Edge540]

Insomnia sets in......

I googled this question and it got 249,000 hits. Nuts.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=airplane+treadmill+will+it+fly&btnG=Search


........

 

[belchfire]

1) You need to get laid

2) The original question assumes the aircraft does not move, It states "As you add power and begin to move for the takoff roll, the treadmill speeds up and keeps the plane in the same relative position. As the plane goes faster, the treadmill speeds up, always maintaining the aircraft's relative position.

The question is well and truely fracked!

"as the plane goes faster"???

Wait!

If the plane "goes faster" how can it be "maintaining the aircraft's relative position"???

They are mutually exclusive! The plane cannot go faster and stay in the same relative position!

Now, would you naysayers like to take a shot at telling the rest of us what the question really meant to say?

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Read the question again. The treadmill plays a crucial roll in the
plane's acquistion of speed as long as the plane is not airborne. If
it is still on the ground and the wheels are rolling forward at a rate
to move the plane at, say 150 mph, the conveyor belt is pulling it
backwards at the same 150 mph. So relative to the stationary earth,
the plane is going exactly nowhere. This is like going up the steps
of the down escalator at the same rate of speed the steps are going
down - you get nowhere. And if you are going nowhere and the wind is
not blowing, you will not generate any lift at all and therefore will
not be able to take off.

If wheels do not have any friction, you will slide on them, not roll.
This is like a car that slides on the ice. However, the clear
intention of the questioner is that the wheels have enough friction to
prevent sliding on the conveyor belt. Therefore the plane is not
decoupled from the belt's motion. And in the scenario described, will
not be able to take off.

 

[belchfire]

I read the question again.

It still says "As the plane goes faster" ...

It does not state "as wheel speed increases"

It states "as the plane goes faster"

I say again the question is fracked!

Get it?

But thanks for taking your time to explain what the question really meant. Given that your side has blasted the it will fly side for trying to reinterpret what the question really meant...I maintain my relative position.

The question is fracked!

 

[Flyingdutchman]

your right

screw it, time for bed!

 

[belchfire]

Unnngh...no kidding!

 

[Flyer1015]

OMG this is still going?!




unreal, mad props to you for that avatar! I love those commercials! That guy is hilarious!

 

[AVDAD]

Can I be the last post in this thread?

 

[megreene]

Someone just rig up a big treadmill and use a RC airplane and see if it works or not. You don't have to see it take off, just if it moves forward at all.


...and this thread will never end.

 

[XPOO]

No, we still have another 20 pages to go!

 

[Fly4hire]

This is almost funny as letting my dog spend the day getting the last drop of peanut butter out of an empty jar.....some of you here are as clueless as my dog, but I'm glad you find this entertaining

 

[30West]

I think this will go on longer than the "Pinnacle Buys Colgan" thread!

 

[Grinder10]

What kind of treadmill is it... African or European?

 

[PBRstreetgang]

OHHHHWELLL,
Sounds like another $hitty MESA cost cutting program, heeeerrreee it comes, MESA still SUKS!
PBR